


Stuff

by tatooedlaura



Series: Life [19]
Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8719588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatooedlaura/pseuds/tatooedlaura
Summary: America and stuff ... M&Ms and stuff ... you know .. stuff ...





	

“There’s someone here to see you.”

Scully looked up from her notes, not really sure of the time, day, date or who was actually speaking to her, “for me?”

“Yes. He asked for Agent Scully.”

Capping her pen, she stood wearily, “up in the lobby?”

“Yes.” Holding out a bag, “and he also asked me to give you this.”

She took the bag in confusion, then, first feeling, then peering at what was inside, she smiled wider than she had since she boarded the plane to come out to Iowa, “thank you.”

The tech nodded, then headed the opposite direction down the hall, leaving Scully to climb the one flight of stairs, grinning as she walked over to Mulder, “trying to buy my affection with candy now?”

Mulder returned the smile, rocking back and forth, heel to toe, with his hands in his pockets, “thought you might need something sweet.”

Not fighting the urge, she hugged him tightly, arms around waist and head on his chest. When she’d breathed deep enough to satisfy some nameless need, she pulled back, holding out a red M&M, “I think I owe you this.”

Resisting the need to pull her back to him, he took the candy instead, popping it into his mouth, “these ones really are the best.”

The staring happening between them would have made a stranger blush and Maggie cheer but since it was them, they just did it without notice until Scully finally ducked her head, remembered how to talk, “so, um, what are you doing here?”

“You needed some red M&Ms. I provided them.”

“You didn’t fly all the way out here to bring me candy, Mulder.”

By now, his shoulders were relaxing and he seemed less nervous, “drove actually and the candy was part of it.”

“You drove here? That’s gotta be a,” looking off in the distance and attempting to do geographic calculations in her fried brain and totally not succeeding, “a really long drive. Why would you do that?”

Stepping closer, “well, I was sitting and thinking, like I sometimes do and I realized that Iowa is a really good starting point for seeing America and since we had decided we wanted to see the stuff in America, I thought maybe we should get started.”

“Stuff in America?”

“Sure. The stuff on the list. The monumental stuff and the odd stuff and the architecture stuff and the billboard-y stuff and the roadside food stuff.”

“That’s a lot of stuff.”

Carrying on like she hadn’t interrupted but now wearing a Cheshire smile, “I was talking to your mom last night after cards and she thought it would be a very good idea to go see stuff so I got in my car and went to your place and packed you some … stuff.”

“Oh, God.”

“Naw, it’s all good, Scully. I got jeans and those short pants capri things and just, pants stuff. Then I got short sleeve shirt stuff and long sleeve shirt stuff and gym shoe stuff and pajamas stuff, the comfortable, flannel ones and those slippery ones that I can’t fathom how you stay in the bed when you wear them.”

Interjecting while sucking the candy shell off yet another M&M, “I have never once slid out of bed.”

“and sock stuff and underwear stuff and bra stuff,” he had the sense to blush some at this one but then he went Mulder again, “that’s a fun drawer, Scully, let me tell you.”

“Mulder …”

“and then I got you bathroom stuff, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving stuff and hair stuff and face stuff …”

“The green bottle?”

“Yeah, like I said, face stuff and … and girl stuff. Your mom made me remember that because she said girl stuff is important.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Still barreling forward, her twinkling-eyes smile telling him he wasn’t going to be smacked for rifling through her things, “and then I grabbed some reading stuff, not the boring stuff you read at work but the fun stuff that is always on your coffee table and those ones on your nightstand with the trashy covers.”

“Did you pack the kitchen sink, too?”

“No, surprisingly, but I did pack some food stuff and your pillow because three weeks on hotel pillows will kill your neck but I did bring pill stuff if you get a headache or something.”

He seemed to have run the gambit of his stuff packing and finally went silent, flashing her his best shit-eating grin with white teeth showing and the unspoken begging in his eyes that she say yes and say yes immediately.

Completely floored by the gesture and the subsequent action, all she could do was hand him another candy, “I have two more bodies to do tomorrow and then I’m all yours … and stuff.” The happiness radiating off him made her warm from head to toe, “has anyone told Skinner yet?”

“Yup. I packed all your stuff, then went home and packed my stuff and then got in the car and started driving. I called him from somewhere in Pennsylvania and honest-to-God, I think he laughed at the idea and then he told us to keep out of as much trouble as we could. Also, to make sure to have plenty of bail money handy.”

Feeling no desire to finish up the last of her notes, “did you get a room already or did you drive straight here?”

“Straight here.”

Scully moved past him, taking his sleeve as she went, “come on. You can stay with me. There’s plenty of room.”

He’d noted her shadowed eyes and pale face but had been too busy with stuff to ask until now, as they headed to the break room to collect her coat and bag, “rough week?”

“Kind of.” Allowing Mulder to help pull her coat up her shoulders, “I’ve been averaging four bodies a day, plus all the paperwork but then I go home and churn the information in my brain and end up coming back here at 3 am and figuring something out, then since I’m already here I do another body and I’ve been eating one meal a day, which always seem to be breakfast and sleep in three hour clips and,” sighing as she stepped into the cool night air, “it’s been a rough week, yes.”

“Buck up, partner, vacation by this time tomorrow night.”

“I will enjoy that statement a lot more after I get a shower and take a nap.”

Mulder had parked a few spots down from her rental, “I’ll follow you. You stopping for food?”

“Yeah. There’s a diner around the corner from the hotel that knows me extremely well at this point.”

Soon, they had their food and were at the hotel, Mulder bringing in his small bag, “two queens. You went all out.” Noticing both looked slept in, “you entertaining on company time, Agent Scully?”

“Entertaining the idea that sometimes, I just want cold sheets on my feet and a new view of the room. I’ve been hopping beds a couple times a night.”

This was a new one for her, at least that he knew of and he slowly put his bag down, turning towards her, concern overtaking his playful mood for the moment, “what’s wrong? Usually you sleep like a log. Did something happen with Colton? If it did, I’m gonna go kick his ass while you shower.”

Her face relaxed, “let me shower first, all right but there is no reason for ass-kicking, I promise.”

“Okay.”

Pointing over her shoulder towards the bathroom, “do you need a shower?”

“Um …”

Scully’s face immediately matched her red candy, “I mean after. This place runs out of hot water fast so if you need one, I’ll go quick so you can take one after.”

Desperately wondering what she’d do if he offered to just take one with her to conserve water and yes, he’d use that clichéd adage if he must, but he just smiled, shaking his head, “I’ll take it tomorrow morning. I had one before I left and you don’t get real dirty sitting in a car.”

Waving her hand lightly in his direction, she ducked her head, “I’ll be out in a few minutes. Eat before it gets cold.”

“I’ll wait.”

Wait he did, straightening sheets and checking out the channels on the crappy TV before simply kicking off his shoes and laying down on the bed closer to the door. He was dozing when she re-appeared in the room, hair damp, skin scrubbed pink and pajamas in place, “awake enough for dinner?”

“Enough.” He sat back up, rubbing his eyes, “although if I fall asleep while eating, you can’t steal my food.”

“Can’t promise that.”

Taking the container she handed him, “then I better shovel fast.”

&&&&&&&&&&

Soon, they’d finished and Scully re-emerged from the bathroom after brushing her teeth to find Mulder on his side in the far bed, facing away from the light he’d left on for her. Turning those lights off and enveloping them in darkness, she stopped between the two beds then, her heart deciding things for her that her brain couldn’t come to grips with, she crawled under Mulder’s covers, scooting up behind him, close but not touching him, the heat rolling off him making her instantly sleepy. On the other side of her closed eyes, she first felt Mulder turn over, then his fingers brush her hair back from her forehead, “are you going to bed hop tonight?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“Because I wanted to let you know that if you do, I’m going to follow.”

“Promise?”

“Double promise.”

As she slipped into dreamland, she searched for and found his fingers, “thanks for packing my stuff so we can go see stuff ‘cause, you know, I missed you and stuff.”

Even through the blackness of the room, she could feel his smile, “I missed you and stuff, too.”


End file.
